Octagon - South Korea’s Best Club, as Voted by you

Seoul’s Gangnam district is probably familiar to a few — well, over two and a half billion if Psy’s YouTube views are anything to go by. In the last few years though its premier club, Octagon, has been gaining its own international reputation too, bringing big-room thrills to its subterranean lair.

Nestled beneath the New Hilltop Hotel close to the Han River in the stunning city of Seoul, Octagon was once a three-storey basement karaoke bar but now resembles an industrial warehouse reminiscent of ‘90s factory raves, in the UK.

Kitted out with a Funktion One soundsystem, the circular venue is rigged with a state-of-the-art laser show and vast LED screens behind the DJ booth providing an impressive spectacle for the crowd on the dancefloor.

Due to the venue’s impressive height, elevators are required to reach a VIP area on the top floor, where there are numerous tables and private rooms for those who like their clubbing experience a little less raucous than the dancefloor.

Taking its musical lead from the US mainstream, the polished, industrial minimalism of the main room, based on its founders' experiences of rave-era warehouse parties, mainly plays host to the big room and commercial dance music genres. Although, not wanting to be defined by EDM, the music policy expands into techno, trap, tech-house and hip-hop. Octagon has also hosted album launches for artists as diverse as Eminem and Maroon 5.

Over the years the club has hosted world renowned festival pre- and after-parties in conjunction with ZoukOut, Creamfields Hong Kong, EDC Japan, and Valley Rock Music And Arts Festival to name a few. It’s even ventured into the world of jazz by collaborating with the legendary New York venue Blue Note.

Octagon is a go-to location in Asia’s ever-expanding clubbing landscape, and with a stamp of approval from celebs, dedicated locals and tourists from across the globe it will continue to fly the South Korean flag in clubland for many years to come.